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Here it is, right on Yamaha's website - "Front and rear suspension is fully adjustable for preload, compression and rebound dampening to help fine tune the ride." Now, they say nothing wrong here, as it is true that the suspension is fully adjustable. However, what Yamaha doesn't tell you is that the rear shock on my Fazer was designed to hold up someone the size of a supermodel. An Ethiopian supermodel. On a diet. And if you have ever met me, you know that I don't quite fit that picture! I'm a bit heavier. I prefer "festively plump". My initial impressions of the Fazer were very good. So good in fact, that I went out and bought one. However, the day you get a new bike home entails time that is usually spent adjusting it to fit YOU. So, lever's were twisted, pedal's were raised and lowered, and the suspension was set for my weight. When it came to the rear shock, I sat on the ground next to the bike with the Owners Manual in my hand, learning what all the knobs did, which way to turn the damping screw, etc. After a few tries, I quickly realized that I had maxed out every adjustment on the stock shock, and it was still way off. There was no way that I could ride this bike at any type of spirited pace without some serious compromises. A ride on the street confirmed this, as a trip up in the Berkshire Mountains had my dragging the left peg in a turn. I could just feel the bike settle in this turn, and then squat. The rear shock could not keep all 280lb's of me in a controlled state. And with my Givi luggage mounted full of a weekend of clothes and such, the bike would be overloaded. Something had to be done.
A search on the Internet had me coming up rather short. However, I discovered that Fox Racing Shox was listing a rear shock for the Fazer. I was familiar with Fox, as I had used one on my old GSXR Superbike. So, I decided to go with what I know and their website - www.foxracingshox.com - gave me the information I needed to contact them. An e-mail asking about price and availability of a rear shock for my Yamaha netted me a phone call two days later from Fox's Customer Service dept. Shane had received my e-mail inquiry and called to inform me that although Fox was well aware of the FZ-1, they don't actually have a shock for it right now. No one had ever asked! After a few minutes of discussion about the limited availability of aftermarket rear shocks for my motorcycle, he asked me if I would be interested in sending my shock to Fox to help make the prototype. A quick YES! soon followed, and a call to Jeff Favorite of Motorcycle R+D at Fox had us agreeing on a plan to get my stock shock out to the factory in California. A few weeks later, and a call from Jeff revealed a few things. First of all, the shock was sprung on the light side. VERY light side. The stock FZ-1 rear shock came equipped with a 425 lb/in spring. This may not seem relevant, but look here - 90-140 lb rider / 500 lb/in spring These numbers represent what Fox recommends using on the Fazer unit. The numbers suggest that the spring in my stock shock was good for that Supermodel's little sister. And with a spring that is working to hard to suspend the motorcycle, both compression and rebound damping will never be in the ballpark. The bike will never handle as it should and you won't enjoy your new machine to it's fullest. And isn't that what it's all about?
My new shock arrived in a nice Fox Racing Shox box. The shock itself was wrapped in bubble wrap, and I received several pages of installation and set-up instructions with it, along with a tool to adjust the spring collar for the correct preload. The old shock came out in about ten minutes with the removal of the lower suspension linkage of the Fazer. Side by side, initially the shocks looked similar. A closer inspection revealed a much larger Piggyback fluid reservoir (for more fluid and better cooling of the internal fluid), adjustments by threaded collar for the spring preload and a ride height adjustment. The compression damping was now done by a twist knob, not a screw. The rebound adjusted the same of the stocker, by twisting a nut at the base of the lower shock mount. The new shock mounted up in the same way the stock unit did, and everything was easily accessible. The new, larger Piggyback was not in danger of hitting anything. The body of the FZ-1 shock is precision drawn steel. The body cap and associated reservoir parts are aluminum (6061 T-6 to be exact!). Every piece looks great, with a fit and finish that is just superb. After setting the sag to 1", I set the compression damping at #4( out of 8) and I set the rebound at 15 clicks (out of 25). Rebound damping is referenced as "clicks out from full hard". So, you would turn the rebound knob (clockwise when looking up from the bottom) until it bottoms out at full hard. Pushing the back of the bike down at this point would have it returning very slowly. Then, you count the clicks back out from that point to reference the setting. I did not adjust the ride height at all, preferring to keep it stock. I just saw no reason to mess with it. The bike steers so quickly now, and exhibits no odd tendencies. To raise the rear ride height, thus putting more weight on the nose, may have made the bike steer even quicker. But, you also run the risk of making the rear of the bike seem "skittish" when you do this. Stock was best, in this case. The moment of truth came - I pushed the bike off its centerstand. THUNK! The bike sat on it's suspension and felt tight, firm and very good. Pressing down on the rear had the shock moving through it's motion with much more authority than the stock unit. One more quick check of all the nuts and bolts and it was time to gear up and go for a ride. Pulling onto the street, I just take it easy. A nice fifteen mile loop on suburban streets show nothing unusual. The shock feels fine, and seems to be doing its job. I then head out to a rather large rotary that is usually light with traffic and catch it just right. A quick flick into the first corner has the rear compress just a bit too much and settle. And it sprung back too quickly. A few laps around and I pull over on a side street. I go to #6 on the compression, and 11 clicks on the rebound. This feels much better and the ride feels firm, but not harsh. The FZ-1 just feels like a new bike.
With these settings, I then mount my three piece Givi hard luggage along with clothes, teaching materials and a cooler for a day at the Motorcycle Safety Range. I was teaching an Experienced Rider Course that day and it was my first time with the Fazer. Through everything I had to ride, including the weaves, the corners, the tight turns and the final exam the bike felt spectacular. With all the extra weight I had on the bike, and the tight exercises I had to perform, the bike felt superb. There was no wallowing, no squatting. The ride home from the range on some fast, twisties just re-affirmed my feelings. The rear shock had transformed what was a very good bike in my eyes to an outstanding one. I could not believe the change in attitude and behavior of the machine. With the front suspension adjusted accordingly, the bike felt so much better. Why couldn't Yamaha do this in the first place? The final piece of this puzzle would be to get the front suspension done. It is still on the soft side, and I feel it is a compromise with how well the rear is working. A call to Jeff confirmed this, as he stated that I would not get the full benefit of the rear shock until I addressed the front end. From where I started, the bike feels 100% better. And there is still room for improvement with the front end. A properly suspended set of forks working with my Fox Shox will be a thing of beauty. I have gushed about this unit for good reason. Fit and finish was top notch. The directions were direct and clear, and a nice set-up guide was also included to aid in measuring and properly adjusting up your bike. I am told that this shock is available now and in stock for shipment. The Part # is 997-12-038-A. Retail price is $679.00 We all buy sportbikes because they are fun to ride. The factory does a good job of making a bike to suit all types of riders, but not always all sizes. The Fazer is a very good motorcycle, but this rear shock makes it an excellent one.
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